Rocker member.



- M. 1. S-TELZER.

ROCKER MEMBER.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE27. 9n.

Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

I flJdzezzf BY y WITNESSES ATTORNEY UNITED @TAFFE PATENT @FFIQE.

MARTIN J. STELZER, or's'r. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ROCKER MEMBER.

Application filed June 27, 1917.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MARTIN J. STELZER, acitizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State ofMissouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rocker Members,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means whereby seats, of various classes anddesigns may be readily converted into rocking members.

In carrying out my invention, it is my purpose to provide detachablerockers with means whereby the same may be readily, quickly and securelyattached to the legs of ordinary articles of furniture, such as benches,chairs and the like, and thus convert such benches, chairs or the likeinto rocking members.

It is a further object of the invention to produce a device of thischaracter which shall embody the desirable and essential features ofsimplicity, cheapness and thorough efliciency.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the nature of the inventionis more fully understood, reference being had to the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating the detachable rocker arrangedupon the legs of an ordinary chair.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view approximately on the line 55of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view approximately on the line 66 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the yoke or furniture leg supportingdevice.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of the same.

While, in the drawings, I have illustrated my improvement in connectionwith an ordinary chair, it is to be understood that the invention is notto be thus restricted in its useful application, as the same, may, aswill presently be apparent, be readily attached to other forms of seats,and to other articles of furniture, when it is desired, that the same beconverted into an oscillatory member or rocker.

In Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings, the detachable rocker is indicated bythe numeral 30, and the yoke member 31 is inverted and has its inner arm32 integrally formed with a lateral extension 33 which terminates in adownwardly extending lip 34. The lip 34 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

Serial No. 177,380.

of the yoke 31, and the member 33 is preferably provided with anaperture 35, designed to receive a headed securing element 36 whichenters the rocker 30. The lip 34 is provided with a depression 37 andthe outer arm of the yoke 31 is also preferably provided with a similardepression. It is to be understood that the yoke members 31 are arrangedupon the detachable rocker 30 at proper spaced intervals to receive theends of the legs 38 of the chair member 39, and when the legs are soreceived, I provide a C spring 40 which is designed to straddle the yokeand which has its ends pointed as at 41 whereby to enter the depressionsin the outer arm of the yoke and the outer face of the lip 34. The Cspring causes the outer arm of the yoke to frictionally engage with theouter surface of the legs 38 of the chair 39, forcing the said chairagainst the inner arm 32 of the said yoke. The outer arm of the yoke, atthe upper or outer edge thereof, has its sides rounded inwardly, as at41 to further insure the proper engagement between the yoke and the legof-the chair.

The detachable rocker 30 is provided with a screw eye 42 disposedapproximately centrally between the yoke members 31, similar to thescrew eye 21, and upon the lower round of the chair is arranged a ringmember 42 having a hooked end 43 which is designed to engage with one ofthe links of a chain member 44 secured to the hooked end of a threadedrod 45 that is screwed in one end of a turn buckle 46 the other end ofthe said turn buckle receiving the oppositely threaded end of a rod 47which has its end hooked as at 48 to engage in the screw eye 42. Thisarrangement is substantially similar to that previously described, andit will be noted that upon adjusting the turn buckle 46, the propertension may be attained between the central flexible connecting elementsto force the rocker in the direction of the chair.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings, I have illustrated a modified form of yoke,the same having its arms 49 rounded inwardly toward each other at theouter edges thereof, and the connecting member of the yoke beingprovided with an aperture 50 whereby to receive the headed securingelement that is designed to attach the yoke to the upper edge of adetachable rocker. The arms 49 are constructed of spring metal and aredesigned to exert a tension toward each other, whereby to effectivelygrip therebetween the legs of a chair, bench, or the like.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In a means for converting a bench, chair, or similar article offurniture into a rocking member, the combination with de tachablerockers, of yoke members comprising a plurality of spaced arms designedto exert atens1on toward each other, an upper member connecting the endsof the intermediate arm with one of the upper arms, a lower memberconnecting the lower ends of the intermediate member with the secondouter arm, two of the arms being arranged over the sides of the rocker,means passing through the connecting member for said arms for securingthe yoke on the rocker, the legs of the furniture designed to bereceived between the other arms of the yoke, and spring means forretaining the legs of the said furniture between the said arms of theyokes.

2. In a means for converting an article of furniture into a rockingmember, the, combination with detachable rockers of yoke membersconstructed of spring metal and comprising each a member having threepar allel arms, and angular members connecting the diametricallyopposite ends of the outer arms to the intermediate arm, two of saidarms designed to be arranged upon the opposite sides of the rocker,securing means passing through the connecting member of said arms andentering the rocker, the second outer arm having its edges roundedinwardly toward the intermediate arm, and to receive one of the legs ofthe furniture and to force the same in frictional contact with theintermediate arm, and means independ ent of said sockets for retainingthe rocker on the article of furniture.

3. In a means for converting an article of furniture into a rockingmember, the combination with detachable rockers, of yokes one for eachof the legs of the article of furniture, each of said yokes comprising aspring member shaped to provide outer arms and an inner arm parallel tosaid outer arm, diametrically opposite angular liiQlHb-STS connectingthe opposite ends of the intermediate member with one of the members ofeach of the outer arms, one of the outer arms and the intermediate arm.designed to frictionally engage with the opposite sides of the rocker,the other outer arm having its edges rounded inwardly toward theintermediate member, and the legs of the furniture de signed to bereceived between the last mentioned outer arm and the intermediate arm,both of the outer arms having depressions in the outer face thereof, andG shaped springs straddling the rocker and the yoke and having its endsreceived in the referred to depressions in the outer arms of the yoke.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

MARTIN J. STELZER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

